Ģ������Ƶ is helping make the path from high school to college simpler for students across Edgecombe County through NC College Connect, a statewide effort that provides eligible North Carolina high school seniors with a direct path to college admission.

This fall, 105,036 North Carolina public high school seniors who are on track to graduate with a diploma and meet program requirements are eligible to receive direct admission to their local community college through NC College Connect. That represents more than 95 percent of current Grade 12 and 13 students in North Carolina public schools.

The program has also expanded this year to reach more students. In the previous two years, NC College Connect was limited to public high school seniors with a GPA of 2.8 or higher. This year, 37,429 additional students are being reached because eligibility for community college direct admission has been expanded to all public high school seniors who are on track to graduate, regardless of GPA.

Through NC College Connect, eligible students are guaranteed direct admission to their local community college with no essays, ACT or SAT scores, or letters of recommendation required. In addition, more than 67,000 students, or 64 percent of eligible seniors, meet criteria to receive direct admission offers from additional participating North Carolina colleges and universities.

A total of 99 North Carolina colleges and universities are participating in NC College Connect.

“Anytime we can remove a barrier or streamline the process for a student to pursue opportunities that can be life changing for them and their families is a good thing,” said Ģ������Ƶ President Dr. Greg McLeod. “With so many high school students taking advantage of college dual enrollment, this presents an incredible opportunity for them to continue with us after their high school graduation to complete those degrees, certificates, or diplomas they started while in high school before going on to the workforce or a four-year college or university.”

NC College Connect is coordinated through a statewide partnership that includes the North Carolina Community College System, College for North Carolina, the UNC System, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities.

“Ask a North Carolinian what a community college credential did for them, and you’ll hear about a career. NC College Connect makes that path easier to find. This year, it’s open to all students. Less time lost to paperwork, more time in the classroom, and a straighter line to a job that pays,” said Dr. Monty Sullivan, acting president & CEO of the North Carolina Community College System.

Eligible students can log in to their College for North Carolina account to view their direct admission matches and complete a short form to claim their spot. Applications to North Carolina community colleges are always free, removing another potential barrier as students take the next step in their education.

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Appalachian State University is offering a new transfer pathway for Ģ������Ƶ graduates in health-related fields. Ģ������Ƶ students who earn an Associate of Applied Science degree can now transfer to App State to complete the Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences.

The pathway is made possible through an agreement between App State, Ģ������Ƶ and the North Carolina Community College System. Eligible graduates must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.25 to be admitted. The program has no waiting list or admission cap, and students can complete the degree online or in person in two years or less.

“This partnership with Appalachian State University is a wonderful addition to our growing list of transfer opportunities for Ģ������Ƶ students,” said Ģ������Ƶ President Dr. Greg McLeod. “Healthcare is one of the fastest growing fields in our region, and this agreement offers our students a seamless pathway to continue their education, build advanced skills, and prepare for meaningful careers that support the well-being of our communities.”

App State’s health sciences program prepares graduates for careers in public health, management and higher education. Health information technology, radiography, magnetic resonance imaging, medical assisting and medical office administration are among the Associate of Applied Science degrees offered at Ģ������Ƶ that qualify for transfer.

For a list of eligible degrees and more information, visit edgecombe.edu/transfer.

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Under the agreement, students can complete general education courses at Ģ������Ƶ before applying to Martin Community College’s two-year Physical Therapist Assistant program. Martin will accept two qualified Ģ������Ƶ students each year. Graduates will receive an Associate in Applied Science degree in Physical Therapist Assistant from Martin Community College.

“This partnership adds to the many exciting career pathways we offer our students and also helps us meet the growing need for physical therapy care here in Edgecombe County and across our region,” stated Dr. Greg McLeod, Ģ������Ƶ president. “Our high-quality general education courses combined with Martin Community College’s strong PTA curriculum and specialized equipment will help ensure that our students will thrive in this field.”

Upon graduation, students may be eligible to take the licensure examination administered by the NC Board of Physical Therapy Examiners. Employment is available in general hospitals, rehabilitation centers, extended care facilities, specialty hospitals, home health agencies, private clinics and public-school systems.

The Physical Therapist Assistant program at Martin Community College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085. For specific admission requirements, students should contact an Ģ������Ƶ counselor at (252) 823-5166.

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Ģ������Ƶ has joined other NC community colleges in an exciting new transfer opportunity with NC State University called Wolfpack Connect. The Guaranteed Admissions Agreement will ensure that students who complete an Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree at Ģ������Ƶ will be admitted to NC State University.

At the start of their participation, Ģ������Ƶ students should have at least one year of coursework remaining, comparable to 30 transferable college credits or less. Prospective transfers may also choose from more than 100 majors and concentrations offered through Wolfpack Connect.

Once accepted into the Wolfpack Connect program, students must complete their associate degree, maintaining a minimum grade point average of 3.0. Transfer admission deadlines and requirements as outlined by NC State must also be met.

“This collaborative agreement provides our students with an affordable and accessible pathway to earn a four-year degree from a premier university that is close to home,” said Dr. Greg McLeod, president of Ģ������Ƶ. “We always strive to ensure that our college transfer students are presented with strong, seamless options as they continue their educational journey.”

Wolfpack Connect is one of several pathways Ģ������Ƶ has secured to help students transfer from a community college to a four-year institution. Key transfer and guaranteed admission partnerships continue to offer benefits for Ģ������Ƶ students through agreements with East Carolina University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, NC Wesleyan University and UNC Wilmington.

For more information on Wolfpack Connect, visit .

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Christine Nicodemus, dean of Arts and Sciences at Ģ������Ƶ, recently attended and presented at the Capture the Journey First-Year Experience Conference hosted by Rowan-Cabarrus Community College and Western Piedmont Community College.

The purpose of the conference, held on the campus of Rowan-Cabarrus, was to share ideas focused on strengthening the first-year student experience. The revised ACA 122 College, Transfer, & Career Success course was also a focus.

According to a description provided by Rowan-Cabarrus, upon completion of the ACA course, “students will be able to identify the community college program that matches their transfer and career goals, navigate transfer policies and processes, use transfer guides, develop an academic plan for future success, and create professional application materials.”

At Ģ������Ƶ, Dr. Tracy Hayes, English/Humanities instructor, will serve as one of the leads for the ACA 122 redesign, working with faculty and staff to ensure proper implementation.

The conference also included collaboration among faculty and staff from NC community colleges on best practices for supporting first year-students. Additionally, the conference underscored the significance of student engagement, retention strategies, and innovative teaching approaches through workshops.

Nicodemus had the opportunity to present her own unique approach at the conference with Chuck Bowling, dean of Arts and Sciences at McDowell Technical Community College. Nicodemus and Bowling’s topic was Using Self-Service for academic planning to promote FYE success.

Nicodemus’ biggest takeaway from the conference was that simply distributing information to students is not enough. “Rather, important information should be shared in ways that invite students to reflect, process and apply it,” she explains. “When faculty and staff do this in a way that fosters a sense of community, that is tailored to each student’s unique needs, and that creates opportunities for active learning and meaningful reflection, it can have an even more powerful effect on our first-year and continuing students.”

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SmartAsset, the online site for financial information and advice, evaluated 585 two-year schools offering associate’s degrees with at least 500 full-time students. Ranking criteria aimed to capture a variety of important components for students, including tuition and fees, student-to-faculty ratio and retention rates of full-time students.

Smartasset.com highlights that in-state tuition and fees for two semesters at Ģ������Ƶ is only $2,640. The college’s student retention rate of 84 percent is the highest mark among all of the NC colleges, and ranks in the top 1 percent for all colleges in the study. Ģ������Ƶ’s low student-to-faculty ratio of 10:1 also contributed to its lofty ranking.

For more information on Smart Asset’s Best Community Colleges-2025 study, visit https://smartasset.com/data-studies/best-community-colleges-2025

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Contributed by Loretta Langley

On Monday, February 10, the Ģ������Ƶ Senior Registered Nursing (RN) programs hosted their annual career fair at Keihin Auditorium. Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) representatives from multiple universities were also invited to this event, providing students with information about academic advancement opportunities after graduation. There were about 20 hospitals, health agencies, and universities represented at the fair, which also allowed Ģ������Ƶ’s upcoming 2025 nursing graduates the chance to explore a variety of nursing careers and RN-to-BSN programs from across America. In the RN-to-BSN program, licensed registered nurses can earn a BSN.

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Ģ������Ƶ and ECU officials sign a bilateral agreement. Pictured l-r are Ģ������Ƶ President, Dr. Greg McLeod; Dr. Allison Danell, professor of chemistry and dean of the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences at ECU; and Dr. Jeff Popke, chair for ECU’s Department of Geography, Planning, and Environment

Ģ������Ƶ signed a bilateral agreement with East Carolina University Monday, February 17 on the Ģ������Ƶ campus. The agreement will enable Ģ������Ƶ students to finish their Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Geospatial Technology-Geographic Information Science, and complete their BS in either Geographic Information Science and Technology or in Geography at ECU.

“Anytime you can come together and either establish or grow a relationship with great partners like ECU, that’s a wonderful thing to do,” said Dr. Greg McLeod, Ģ������Ƶ president.

Geospatial Technology encompasses technology such as digital maps, Geographic Information Systems, satellite imagery and more. According to Trey Cherry, department chair for Information Technology Studies at Ģ������Ƶ, there are several options in the program, including attaining a college certificate, diploma or a two-year degree. Certificates are also offered to high school students who are dually enrolled in the program.

“The program is unique in that it is the only two-year geospatial technology program in the state of North Carolina,” stated Cherry. Additionally, Cherry noted that the program is offered 100 percent online.

Dr. Jeff Popke, chair for the Department of Geography, Planning and Environment, acknowledged that students who hone their abilities in a particular field of GIS will be equipped with the knowledge for a beneficial career.

“Skills in geospatial analysis and the ability to use and apply geospatial technology are in high demand across a high range of careers,” said Popke. “So, we know that the knowledge and skills students are acquiring in the program here are setting them up for long-term career success.”

McLeod stated that this is not the first partnership with ECU. The Pirate Promise Program provides a seamless transition for Ģ������Ƶ students who complete an associate degree to transfer to ECU. The Information Technology Studies Department also has an existing agreement that allows graduates with an AAS in Information Technology-Networking & Security to transfer to ECU as well.

For more information about Geospatial Technology-Geographic Information Science at Ģ������Ƶ, visit edgecombe.edu.

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Courtney Baggett and Shaquana Deans-Thorne preparing for CCACRAO

Representatives from more than 40 colleges and universities gathered in the Mobley Atrium on Friday, Oct. 18. It was all a part of the Carolinas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers’ (CACRAO) College Fair tour.

Students learned about the various programs offered at NC colleges and universities.

Ģ������Ƶ was the site where students from Tarboro High, Southwest Edgecombe, North Edgecombe, North East Carolina Prep, Rocky Mount Prep and the Ģ������Ƶ Early College learned more about their options for post-secondary education.

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Ģ������Ƶ Manufacturing Technology Instructor, Merdikae Williams

“Preparing Manufacturing Technicians for the Challenges of Industry 4.0” was the topic of Manufacturing Technology Instructor, Merdikae Williams’ presentation during a recent workshop at Pitt Community College.

Community college stakeholders, including Williams and Dr. Bruce Panneton, vice president of instruction and chief academic officer at Ģ������Ƶ, convened on Oct. 4 to discuss the NSF ATE grant program.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program’s goal is to hone the education of science and engineering technicians by focusing on partnerships between industry, two-year colleges and other institutions of higher education.

“A big component of this workshop was to discuss mentoring programs to community colleges in order to help them land the NSF ATE grants,” said Panneton. “We talked about how the process works, some of the things we went through to get the grant, and how to use the grant to help underserved students get access to training with the newest trends and technologies.”

Ģ������Ƶ’s grant focused on Industry 4.0, also called the Fourth Industrial Revolution. It highlights more efficient manufacturing through the integration of digital technologies. Some Industry 4.0 technologies include robotics, automation and artificial intelligence.

According to Panneton, he and Williams shared their experiences to a group of about 30 regional community college representatives interested in growing NSF/ATE participation.

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